


The Creed

by MariClem2018



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, Assassination, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 22:45:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16050101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MariClem2018/pseuds/MariClem2018
Summary: Found on the street by Master Assassin Summer Rose, Blake Belladonna starts training to take her father's place on the council of masters in the Brotherhood. Though when her savior is killed, Blake is tasked with finding her daughter and protecting her but will Blake end up falling for the young girl? Can she keep her promise to her savior and still find love in her mission?Ladybug





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a little idea I had... Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer Rose is on her way home to celebrate her daughters birthday when she gets a little sidetracked by a stray

Prologue

It was a dark, rainy night on the streets of Vale. The many stores and businesses were closed, and the ships were docked in the pier, everything silent. A lone figure dressed in white and red with leather guards and silver armor was walking down the street with her hood up to guard her from the rain. She looked up at the sky and sighed. "Why did Ozpin send me out tonight of all nights? I missed Ruby's birthday… Guess that's what happens when you choose the life of an Assassin…" she thought. She stopped when she heard the clatter of crates in an alley near a restaurant. She glanced down the alley and listened, starting down the alley at the sound of more rustling. "Hello?" She called out. She heard a small gasp and a person try to hide, she chuckled and moved towards the crates. "I've already heard you so there's no use in hiding," the woman said. She heard a little sigh and watched as a small child stepped out from behind the crates. "She looks no older than Yang…" the woman thought. She knelt in front of the young girl. "Hello, are you lost? Where are your parents?" she asked the child. The little girl looked away, cat ears atop her head going flat.

"Dead…" she mumbled. The older woman frowned.

"I'm Summer. Summer Rose, what's yours?" she asked. The child looked up at her, gold eyes piercing and making Summer double take. "Those eyes… There's only two other's I know of that have those eyes… but it's impossible… They're both dead…," she thought. The little girl looked down.

"I'm Blake…" she said. Summer smiled softly and held out her hand.

"Well Blake, why don't you come with me? I know a place that has warm food and a warm bed," she said. Blake debated for a moment before taking her hand. Summer smiled and walked with the young girl. Blake looked around as they neared the more prosperous district of town.

"Where are we going…?" she asked. Summer smiled and looked down at her.

"We're going to see my friends. You'll be able to stay with us and you can decide if you want to join in our cause or not," she said. Blake nodded and followed with her. Once they got there Summer got Blake some warm blankets and a warm plate of food. "Just sit here and wait, I need to go meet with my friends," she said. Blake nodded as she ate, cat ears atop her head flicking in contentment. Summer smiled a little and walked down to an office, knocking on the door and receiving a welcome to come in. She entered the room and stood in front of the gray-haired man's desk.

"Ah Summer, I assume you were successful in your assignment?" the man asked her. Summer nodded.

"The Templar was behind the recent increase in Faunus slaving just as reports said Ozpin," she said. Ozpin nodded and smiled up at her.

"Then I suppose you have a three-year-old to get home to," he said. Summer smiled a little and shook her head.

"Not quite yet, there's something I must discuss with you," she said. Ozpin tilted his head. "It seems that the Belladonna's were able to have a child after all. I ran into their five-year-old daughter, Blake, she was on the streets," she explained. Ozpin nodded and stood up.

"Well, I suppose I should go introduce myself and tell her about what her parents did," he said. Summer nodded and led him out to the little girl who was still eating, Ozpin sat down across from the girl who looked at him questioningly.

"Hello Blake, Summer has told me a little bit about you," he said. "I am Master Ozpin, the leader of the guild known as the Assassins," he said. Blake tilted her head.

"Assassins…?" she asked. Ozpin smiled. He told her all about the Assassins and what they stood for, who they fought against and who they protected.

"Your parents were also part of our guild, your father was even a Master Assassin like me and on our council," he said. Blake looked down in thought.

"So… Mom and Dad were… Killed by Templars…?" she asked. Ozpin nodded.

"There was a Templar raid on an old hideout your parents were using, they fought valiantly but in the end, it wasn't enough… I'm sorry Blake, your parents were wonderful people. They fought for the Faunus and Humans who were oppressed by others," he told her. Blake was silent for a few moments before looking up at him, determination in her eyes.

"I wanna be an Assassin," she said. "Just like my mom and dad," she told him. Summer looked at Ozpin, hoping he'd grant the girls request. The older man just smiled.

"You want to be a part of the order?" he asked. Blake nodded.

"I wanna protect the innocent like my mom and dad," she said. The man smiled.

"I suppose only Ghira's daughter could ever fill his spot… Very well Blake, from this day forward you live by the rules of the order. You will start training and learning all our skills. Remember the creed, nothing is true; everything is permitted," he said, standing up and motioning for the girl to follow him. The young girl quickly followed the man as Summer smiled and watched them go.

"Ghira… Kali… I promise to train her even better than I was… She'll be the greatest Assassin to ever come from Vale, at least while I'm living she will be," she thought to herself as she turned to start home to see her family.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven years have passed since Summer found Blake in an alley, during that time the girl has trained and learned during every waking moment to be the best Assassin she could be. Today is the day that she'll finally be assigned a mentor as well as a teacher. Her mentor will take her out on missions and contracts as well as field training, but her teacher will teach her the history of the order and key figures in its history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of these chapters I'm posting today are the ones already completed. They were originally posted on FFN so if you've thought that it looks familiar, it's because it is. My pen-name on there is FrozenSWLoKfan01 if you don't remember or are new so go check it out!

Seven Years Later

Blake sat under the tree in the courtyard, the twelve-year-old silently listening to the sounds around her as she waited to be called into the high master's office. Today is the day she would be assigned a mentor and a teacher, those who would teach her everything she needed to become a Master Assassin to take her father's seat on the council of Assassins. She looked up when a red-haired girl called out to her. "I'm sorry Pyrrha, did you say something?" she asked. The girl, Pyrrha smiled a little.

"I was only coming to tell you that the masters have made their decision, you're requested in their office now," she said. Blake nodded and stood up, brushing off the dirt from her trousers as she did so. Pyrrha led her to the large oak doors to the office before the black-haired girl opened the doors and stood in front of the many members. She looked around and took note of each one of them, saying their names in her head. "Glynda Goodwitch, right hand to Ozpin… Qrow and Raven Branwen, both twins exceptionally gifted with Eagle Vision… Taiyang Xiao Long, coordinator between kingdoms with is vast knowledge of each routes in and out of the kingdoms… Summer Rose, the youngest on the council but consequentially the greatest of Assassins in the Order, just under Ozpin… Head of our Brotherhood in Vale," She thought. "You wished to see me Masters?" she asked. Ozpin smiled.

"Yes, Good afternoon Blake. As you know you've been selected to graduate from novice to Beginner Assassin," he said. The young woman nodded. "Well, after hours of deliberation we have all decided on your mentor and teacher," he told her. Blake straightened up, looking between the Master Assassins. "Raven will be the one to supervise you on your missions and train you in combat," the Master Assassin said. Raven just shrugged when Blake glanced at her. "Your teacher will be Summer, when you're here at the compound you will focus more on your paper studies with her and Raven will take you out on missions to hone your given skills," Ozpin told her. "Don't make us regret our decision of making someone so young an Assassin," he added. Blake smiled and nodded.

"Don't worry sir, I won't let you down," she said. Ozpin nodded and dismissed everyone. As Blake stepped into the hall she was blindsided by Summer.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you!" the woman cried out happily. Blake laughed a little and hugged the woman back.

"Hey Summer," she said. "I'm looking forward to learning all about the history of the Brotherhood from you," she added. Summer smiled and nodded before looking at Raven. She gestured for the young woman to turn around and get to know her mentor better. Blake walked over and bowed slightly to the woman, a hand over her heart. "Mentor," she said. Raven returned the gesture.

"Know that I will not take it easy on you just because of your age," the woman said. "You will be required to do things that people twice your age have troubles with, and you will do them as my Protégé," she added. Blake nodded.

"I can assure you that I will not fail your expectations Raven," she said, determined. Raven shrugged.

"We'll see about that," she said, walking away. She turned and gestured to Blake to follow her. "First things first, we're going to get you new clothes," she told the girl. Blake caught up to her and they made their way towards the local tailor. Once they were done there they made their way to the armory where Blake picked out basic weapons and armor before heading to the training room, so Raven could test her abilities. After the training session they were sitting in the mess hall for lunch, Blake picking at her food as she remembered how she couldn't get a single mark on Raven. The Master Assassin took notice of this and sighed.

"You've just graduated from Novice Assassin to Beginner Assassin, don't be too hard on yourself because you couldn't hit me," she said. "I only wanted to test your basic abilities, so I know what to work on with you. It's nothing against your skills, from what I've seen you are an amazing fighter and you have promise as an Assassin. We just need to work on honing your natural abilities," she explained. Blake nodded before looking up at Raven.

"Why was I placed with you rather than Summer? She knows the most about me and, in my opinion, would be better suited as my mentor," she asked. Raven chuckled.

"Exactly because of that reason, that and you're the most promising Novice since Summer," she replied. Blake tilted her head. "Summer knows you well that is true, but if she were to be your mentor you'd never progress that well," she explained. "Summer would take it too easy on you in a sparring session like we just had, you'd never excel the way we would like you to," she told her. Blake nodded in understanding.

"So… Summer's teaching me the history because she knows how I think?" she asked. Raven nodded.

"Summer can help you in the history side, but I was the only candidate that could push you physically and mentally that you could succeed. That's why I'm your Mentor," she said. "Just don't fail me in the training that I provide to you," she added. Blake smiled and nodded.

"I won't let you down Raven, I promise," she said. Raven smiled a little and nodded as they finished eating. "Don't worry kid, you'll pass no problem," she thought, watching the cat Faunus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to review with any questions or requests you might have, thanks
> 
> ~MariClem2018


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake is given her first mission with Raven but things go wrong and she makes a mistake that she can never take back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Chapter! Warning: Character death and feels in this chapter. I am so sorry if I ruin you guys mentally and emotionally.

As the months passed Raven pushed Blake harder than she'd ever been pushed in any of her training. During their sparring sessions Raven would continuously knock Blake down, telling her to be faster or stronger. "Will you stop swatting at my ears?!" the young Faunus cried during one of these sparring sessions.

"Your ears are a weakness, you need to protect them at all costs," Raven told her. "You may not always be fighting with your hood, you need to learn how to protect your weakness and compensate your attacks because of it," she explained, swinging her blade again at the cat ears atop her protégé's head. Blake growled low in her chest and rammed her shoulder up towards her mentor's stomach, causing Raven to stumble back in surprise. Blake panted and glared at the woman, standing ready to block any more strikes she'd send towards the girl. Raven smiled and stood up straight. "Come on kid, let's go take a break okay?" she said. Blake hesitated.

"This isn't a trick, is it?" she asked. Raven laughed.

"As much as I enjoy tricking you, this isn't a trick. Let's go walking through the Emerald Forest," she said. Blake nodded and followed Raven as she walked out of the room. Once in the Emerald Forest they walked along a path that they frequented, Blake looked around at everything while Raven looked forward, glancing at her protégé every now and then. "Blake," she said, stopping. Blake looked at her mentor and tilted her head.

"Yes Raven?" she asked.

"You've surprised me at how much you've grown these past few months, I am… Very proud of you," she said. Blake looked at her surprised.

"You're… Proud of me?" she asked her. Raven nodded and sat down on a rock, patting the spot beside her. Blake sat down next to her mentor.

"When I first took on the challenge of training you I thought you'd be a lost cause with how confident you were in your abilities. I thought you'd be stuck up kid who'd only be doing things her way," she explained. "But as we started training I realized that you were like any other hard-working Novice Assassin that wanted to excel in the Brotherhood," she said. Blake smiled.

"I'm not like many others Raven, I have a legacy in the Brotherhood to uphold… especially since nobody knew that I existed," she said, looking down. "Mom and dad never told me about the Assassins… I think they were protecting me as much as possible… But I would've rather known about all of you rather than finding out from Summer seven years ago…" she said softly. Raven put a hand on her shoulder.

"Your parents were major enemies to the Templars… They wanted to keep you safe for as long as possible, it was only a matter of time before you went looking for answers. I, and all the others, are glad that Summer found you when you were still young enough to start Novice training," she told her. Blake nodded and looked at Raven.

"I'm glad you were assigned to be my mentor Raven… I realize now that Summer would've been too easy on me and I would never have strengthened myself both physically and mentally," she said. Raven chuckled and reached into a pouch on her side.

"The real reason I wanted to walk with you is because I have decided you fit to go on missions with me now," she said. Blake perked up, ears straight up and tilted towards her mentor. Raven laughed a little. "As tradition it is a mentor's job to make sure their protégé is prepared for anything, which is why it is my great honor to give you these," she said, holding out the objects. Blake gasped softly, looking at the hidden blades in the woman's hands. The girl reached out to take them.

"Are these…?" she asked. Raven nodded.

"The hidden blades of Ghira and Kali Belladonna, Ozpin gave me permission to give them to you as you are their heir," she told her. Blake smiled and wiped her eyes before setting the weapons down and hugging Raven, something the girl hardly did.

"Thank you so much Raven," she whispered. Raven smiled and hugged the girl back.

"Of course, Blake, now. We have our first mission with Summer starting once we get back. Do you think you're ready?" the woman asked. Blake smiled brightly.

"I am so ready!" she exclaimed happily. Raven rolled her eyes and got up, motioning for the girl to follow her back to the hideout. Blake obediently followed and secured the hidden blades on her wrists, smiling brightly.

Blake scrambled through the dark corridors below the streets of Vale, panicking as she heard the footsteps of her pursuers. She kept using her Faunus senses to try and find an easy way out of her situation. "Come on, come on! Think Blake! What would Raven have you do in this situation?!" she thought. She looked around up ahead of her and spotted an outcrop in the wall. "There!" she quickly hid in the outcrop and held her breath as the enemy ran right by her. She waited a few moments before stepping out of her hiding place. She listened to make sure there was no one else following her before looking up at the grate above her. "I need to get up high to try and find Raven or Summer," she said to herself, jumping up and through the grate. She quickly scaled a building and started running along the roofs, searching for any sign of the two Master Assassins. She smiled as she saw Summer but growled when she noticed that she was fighting Templars. "Summer, duck!" she yelled, jumping towards the roof her teacher was on. Summer quickly ducked as Blake vaulted over her and stuck her blades into the necks of the unfortunate souls.

"Nice jump," the woman said, smiling at the girl. Blake smirked from under her hood.

"I do my best, now we have to try and find Raven," she said. Summer nodded and made to follow Blake but quickly pushed the girl out of the way.

"Look out!" she yelled before violently flying back and off the roof. Blake cried out in shock and hurried to the edge of the roof.

"Summer!" she yelled, hissing in pain as she was shot through the shoulder. She quickly jumped off the roof and into a haystack before climbing out and going to Summer who was surrounded by a crowd of people. She pushed her way through the crowd, ignoring the pain in her shoulder. "Summer!" she said, kneeling before her teacher. She gently cradled Summer's head in her hands and looked down at her through the tears. "Summer, talk to me please," she whimpered. The woman reached up and pushed Blake's hood down.

"Now, now little kitten… D-don't cry," she said, coughing as blood poured out of the wound on her chest. "I-I'll be A-Okay," she smiled, bloodstained teeth showing. Blake sniffled, hugging Summer tightly.

"I'm so sorry, I should've kept my guard up!" she cried. Summer chuckled.

"You're a b-beginner… Y-you made a r-ro-rookie mistake," she said, wincing. "B-Blake…" she said softly. The girl looked down at her, tears falling down her cheeks. "I-I need you to do something for m-me..." she said quietly, losing her strength rapidly. Blake nodded.

"A-anything," she said, sniffling. Summer reached into her pocket and pulled out a worn photograph. Blake looked at the picture and saw Summer, Taiyang, and two young girls.

"F-find them… R-Ruby and Y-Yang… Protect them, especially Ruby… She…She's the o-one to t-take m-my spot on th-the c-council… Tra-ain her a-and teach her a-as I ha-have taught y-you…" the woman said, gasping for breath. Blake shook her head.

"I.. I can't do that Summer… I don't know the first thing about teaching someone," she said. Summer smiled.

"Y-you can Blake… I… I b-belie-ve… In… You…" she said, exhaling her last breath and going limp. Blake cried out in surprise and clutched onto the woman tighter.

"Summer… Summer wake up!" she cried. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Raven looking back down at her.

"She's gone Blake…" she said softly. The girl shook her head, tears flowing freely now.

"No… No, Summer!" she cried, fighting against Raven as she pulled her up. She continued fighting against her mentor as other Assassins starting to lift the Master Assassins body. She heard Raven mutter something before everything went black.

"I'm sorry kid, but there's nothing we can do about this," she thought as she carried the girl away and towards the Assassins hideout.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, I am so sorry for this chapter. Please don't be afraid to review and try and get other people to follow! It is all greatly appreciated!


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake comes to and remembers what happened, setting the mood for the rest of the story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, three chapters in one day! This chapter you get to see the transition of Blake from her childhood innocence and take on the mature Assassin that she has to be before she can take on a protege of her own. Please enjoy!

When Blake awoke she was overcome with dread, seeing Raven sitting by her bed and feeling the bandage on her shoulder made her remember what had happened only hours before. She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to stop the tears, the pain of losing the one person who showed her any kind of kindness after her parents died was too much. She let out a broken sob, alerting Raven to her presence and the woman gave her a sympathetic look before hugging the poor girl. She soothed the girl like a mother would their child. "Everything's going to be okay Blake, Summer wouldn't want you crying over her," she said softly. Blake sniffled and nodded, wiping her eyes.

"Why did she have to die Raven? She has a family," she asked softly. Raven sighed and looked into the girl's eyes.

"Because we're Assassins Blake, our line of work is an occupational hazard. Summer knew the risks and was still willing to fight for a free world where Ruby and Yang could live in without the fear of someone controlling them," she said. Blake sighed and looked down.

"Would you take it back if you could? Your oath to the Brotherhood?" she asked her mentor. Raven shook her head.

"No, neither would Summer. None of us would, because without us who would stop the Templars?" the woman asked. Blake took a deep breath.

"Then I'm not letting this stop me, I'm going to continue to train as an Assassin and make both my parents and Summer proud of me," she told her, a spark coming back into her eyes. "Summer's death won't be in vain," she added. Raven smiled and nodded

"Then I suppose we should get you some new clothes since your last ones were… Affected by the fight," she said. Blake nodded and grabbed her boots, slipping them on before following Raven to the tailor. Once she was done changing and stepped out Raven blinked in surprise. "Black robes?" she questioned. Blake nodded.

"That way I won't be affected by the blood I may get on my clothes, whether it be my allies or enemy's blood," she explained. Raven nodded and made a motion to follow and Blake obeyed, walking next to the woman silently. "Where are we going?" she asked. Raven sighed.

"We must attend Summer's funeral," she said. "There was one for her and her family at the church, keeping Ruby and Yang in the dark. They're having one at the hideout now for her, since you were close to her I figured you'd want to go," she added. Blake nodded.

"Thank you… For all of this," she said. Raven shrugged.

"Ozpin did the same for me and my brother when we lost our parents, I guess I'm trying to also prove that I'm worthy of my spot on the council," she said. Blake was silent, thinking and walking. They made it to the hideout and into the chapel as the service for Summer was already in progress. They silently stood in the back and waited for the time to move down to the crypts, Blake watching Taiyang the entire time. "I feel so sad for him… Having to sit through two funerals for his deceased spouse twice in one day," she thought to herself. She jumped slightly when Raven bumped her shoulder.

"Come on, time to say your goodbye's," she said softly. Blake nodded and walked up to the front of the chapel with her hood up, ignoring the hushed whispers of the many people in attendance. She stood before Summer's casket, looking down at the woman's peaceful face as Raven took a spot standing next to Taiyang.

"Summer loved her like a daughter," he said softly. Raven nodded.

"She showed Blake kindness that no one had showed her since her parents, she gave her a purpose in life. That's something that the girl will never take for granted," she told him. Taiyang nodded as they watched Blake.

"I promise Summer… I'll teach Ruby like you asked me… I swear it on my life," she vowed. Soon the service was over, and the crypt had gained a new member and sealed up. Blake silently sat in the courtyard under her normal tree, not even looking up as Ozpin walked over to her.

"Raven told us of what Summer asked you to do, Tai is against it but will allow it when the time comes for Ruby to know the truth of her mother's death," he told her. Blake nodded. "Glynda thinks you should be banned from missions until your emotional health gets better, I believe that should be your decision and no one else's," he said. Blake was silent for a few minutes before she stood up and faced Ozpin.

"I appreciate Glynda's concern, but I am perfectly fine to go on missions. I don't need to take time to grieve as I've already come to terms with Summer's death, what I need to do now is focus on my training so that I can one day teach Summer's daughter," she told him. The older Master nodded.

"I have faith in you Blake, and I know that someday soon you'll make a fine Assassin just as Summer knew you would be," he said. Blake nodded and started walking away. "Where are you going now Miss Belladonna?" he asked. Blake turned to him with a small smile.

"I believe I should go find my mentor, so we can find a mission to take on," she said. Ozpin returned the smile and nodded, accepting her answer.

"You sure picked a good one Summer, Kali and Ghira were wise to keep us out of her life until they died… She may not have turned out the way she did if they hadn't or you hadn't found her. You'll be proud of her," he thought as he watched the young woman, so much like her parents, walk away from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read and review! I hope to post at least one chapter each week so don't be surprised if you follow the story and you keep getting notifications for it. Anyway, see you next chapter!


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years have passed for Blake and in that time she's only focused on one thing, becoming an Assassin and making Summer and her parents proud. Everyday she's remembered her promise to Summer, and it might have to be fulfilled sooner than she thought

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some good news! I've written out a timeline of what I want in this story and all the ideas I wanted to put in this... would never be in this because I don't have the patience to write a 100+ chapter story so there will be a sequel! The sequel will be titled The Creed: New Blood and if any of you can guess anything by pure luck that will happen in either further chapters of this story or the sequel, I will tell you anything you want to know about either story!

Years passed in a blur for Blake, after Summer's death she quickly threw herself into work as an Assassin. She quickly learned from Raven and by the age of 14 was an Assassin working on her own, now at the age of 19 she was on her last assignment in Vale before she would head to Haven for an assignment that she doesn't know how long it will take. She was jumping from rooftop to rooftop when a commotion caught her attention below. She stopped and looked down at the group of teenagers that were starting a fight in the streets below. "You two have crossed us for the last time!" a ginger haired boy said. The blonde-haired girl laughed.

"Like you could hurt us Cardin, you're just a coward who relies on your daddy to buy you out of any situation!" she said, taunting the boy and his gang. Cardin growled.

"Yang Xiao Long, I'm going to pummel you so hard you won't know what happened!" he cried, motioning for his gang to advance on the girls. The shorter black-haired girl got closer to Yang.

"Uhh… Yang...?" she asked. Yang looked at her.

"Yeah Ruby?"

"We're outnumbered, and I can't fight hand to hand that well…" Ruby muttered. Yang paled.

"Oh…" she said. Cardin snickered as he and his gang advanced on the girls who stuck closer together. Blake growled softly and jumped down, throwing rocks at the boys. She knew she recognized the girls, they were Summer's daughters.

"Go on! Get out of here before I call the guards!" she shouted, throwing rocks at the boys. They all yelped and started running off, Cardin growled and tossed a rock at Blake who got hit above the eye and chin by it. She growled as he ran off, wiping away the blood from both cuts before looking at Blake and Yang.

"Are you two okay?" she asked. Yang and Ruby nodded, a bit surprised at this new mysterious person who'd saved them. Blake smiled a little and turned to climb back onto the rooftops. "Then I did my job, stay out of trouble okay? I don't want to hear about you two getting into trouble again," she said. Ruby stepped forward and grabbed her arm.

"Wait, we don't even know your name," she said. Blake turned to her and blinked in surprise.

"She looks exactly like Summer…" she thought. She cleared her throat before speaking. "My name doesn't matter, just take the kindness I showed you and show it to someone else. Also, don't tell your father about what happened today," she said. Yang and Ruby looked confused as Blake climbed the wall of the building and onto the rooftops. "Tai is going to kill me for stepping in… But I have to keep my promise to her…" she thought as she ran along the roofs.

Taiyang walked into the house and sighed, seeing the house empty. He walked out to the back yard and watched as Ruby and Yang sparred. He laughed a little as Ruby was knocked down once again and complain to her sister. "Yang, hold your punches!" she cried out. Her sister rolled her eyes.

"You think people you fight will hold their punches in real combat?" she asked. Ruby looked down. "Ruby, the real world isn't a game. You need to know how to fight both armed and unarmed, your enemies won't hold back," Yang told her, holding out her hand. "There's not always going to be someone there to rescue you," she added. Ruby sighed and took her sisters hand.

"I know… I just have a hard time with hitting things without a sword or anything…" she mumbled. Yang laughed and pulled her into a headlock and giving her a nuggie.

"You are just too cute," she said. Ruby growled and started wrestling with her sister. Tai chuckled and called out to them.

"Hey you two! Stop fooling around and get inside and clean up, dinner's going to be ready soon," he said. Yang and Ruby rushed past him

"FOOD!" they both cried out. Tai shook his head in amusement and went inside to cook dinner. They sat down to eat and talked about their day.

"So, anything exciting happen today?" he asked. Yang and Ruby looked between each other and shook their head.

"Nope…" Ruby said. Tai looked at her suspiciously.

"Oh really?" he asked. Yang nodded.

"We just stayed at home all day," she said.

"Uh huh… If that were true, then the house would've been clean. Now stop lying to me and tell me what happened today," he told them. The girls sighed and looked down.

"We got into a fight with Cardin and his gang again today…" Ruby said. Tai sighed.

"How many times do I have to tell you two not to get into fights with people who are better off in the social ladder than we are?" he asked them.

"We didn't even get hurt though! Someone else scared them off!" Yang blurted.

"Yang! We weren't supposed to tell!" Ruby reprimanded her. Tai looked between the two.

"Who intervened?" he asked. The girls stayed silent. "Ruby. Yang. Who scared Cardin and his gang off?" he asked again, firmer.

"We don't know her name, all we know is she's really good at climbing and surprising people and she was wearing a black coat with a funny looking hood," Ruby said quietly. Tai took in this information and sighed.

"Blake…" he said softly. Yang tilted her head.

"You know her?" she asked. Tai sighed.

"There's something you two need to know, but for me to explain it I need to take you to work with me," he said. Yang and Ruby looked at each other with a confused look as their father told them to finish eating before they left to go into one of the more nicer parts of town.

"Uh, dad? Where are we going?" Yang asked.

"Just… keep an open mind girls okay?" he asked them. Ruby nodded and Yang shrugged. They looked around in awe as they entered the Assassins hideout, ignoring the many looks that the others were giving them.

"What is this place?" Ruby asked. They heard a chuckle and turned to the voice.

"I see you've finally decided to fill them in on the family business?" Ozpin asked. Tai sighed and crossed his arms.

"You can thank our resident kitty cat for this, I wouldn't be telling them all of this if she hadn't saved them from learning a lesson by getting beat up by a gang," he said. Ozpin chuckled.

"This day had to come eventually Tai, they need to know," he told him. Ruby and Yang looked confused before both men started explaining everything to them, from the beginnings of the Assassins to what they are today. Ruby looked down when she finally heard how her mother died.

"So… these Templars… Killed my mom?" she asked. Tai sighed.

"Yeah kiddo, they did," he said. Ruby nodded, going quiet. They all looked up at the sound of shuffling.

"Honestly kid, you'd think you'd be able to handle a simple escort mission," Raven said. Ruby and Yang blinked in surprise when they saw the person from earlier leaning against the older Assassin. Blake rolled her eyes, having one arm wrapped around her torso.

"The Templars were after this particular person… They kind of surprised me…" she grumbled. She cried out in both surprise and pain as she was pushed against the wall.

"Tai!" Raven cried. Blake winced and looked at the blonde-haired Assassin, ears folding back in nervousness and pain.

"I know you made a promise to her, but did you really have to enact that promise so soon?! I wanted to keep them out of this for at least a few more years!" he yelled, a bit too loud for the young woman's liking. Raven put a hand on his shoulder.

"Tai, calm yourself. Blake meant no harm by intervening with the girls and that gang, she was only doing as her friend had asked her," she said. Tai sighed and looked into the Faunus's remorseful eyes.

"I'm sorry Tai… But I couldn't just stand by as the reason I'm doing what I'm doing was going to get hurt," she said softly. The man sighed and let her go, catching her so she wouldn't fall.

"No, I'm sorry," he said. "I let my anger get the better of me," he added. Blake nodded and winced, glancing at Yang and Ruby and sighed.

"I told you not to tell him," she said softly, wincing as Raven poked her side.

"Don't make this worse than it already is, let's get you fixed up and then you can get briefed on your mission to Haven," she told her. Blake grumbled and walked with Raven towards the infirmary. Yang shrugged and turned back to talk to her father as Ruby watched Blake and Raven leave, thinking. She jumped when Ozpin cleared his throat next to her.

"Is there something on your mind Miss Rose?" he asked. Ruby looked back to where Blake and Raven had disappeared to.

"Raven said that Blake knew my Mom…" she said softly. Ozpin nodded.

"Summer was the one who found Blake and brought her to us, you could say that Summer saved her," he said. Ruby nodded and looked up at the man.

"What promise were they talking about?" she asked him. Ozpin sighed and thought for a moment.

"It's best if Blake was the one to answer that, even I don't know all the reasons behind her need to help you and your sister," he told her. Ruby nodded. "Now, I suppose I should show you and your sister around and tell you all you need to know about this profession," he said. The young woman smiled and nodded before following him to her sister and father.

Two days later Yang and Ruby were wandering the halls of the Assassins hideout when they heard two people training in the training room. They quietly made their way towards the room and peeked in. They blinked in surprise as they saw Blake and Raven sparring against each other, they were surprised to see that both women weren't fighting as though it was just a spar but an actual fight. Ruby watched in fascination as the cat Faunus jumped over the Master Assassins blade. "Isn't Blake injured?" Yang asked. Ruby nodded, noticing that the Faunus favored one side over the other.

"She favors her right side more than her left," she responded. "It's strange… they're fighting as though they're actually fighting against their enemy," she said. Yang shrugged.

"We don't know them that well so maybe this is just how they train?" she asked. Ruby thought for a moment before sensing something, she quickly tackled Yang to the ground.

"Look out!" she cried. Yang yelped at the sudden movement before they looked at where they were both standing and saw two Phantom Blades embedded into the ground. They looked at the training ring and saw Blake walking over to pick them up and put them back in her hidden blade and gauntlet.

"What the hell?!" Yang cried, standing up as her aura flared. "You could've killed us!" Blake rolled her eyes.

"Relax, I was aiming for the ground. Besides, Ruby has enough self-awareness to keep you both alive," she said. Yang growled and made to punch her, but Ruby stopped her.

"Yang don't! You'll only get in trouble," she said. Yang growled.

"I don't care! They say she knew mom, but she doesn't show any kindness to us, all she does is test us!" she exclaimed. "I'm sick of it! I just want to know why the hell she's like this, why she treats us as less than everyone else!"

"Does it matter how you're treated? You're both just novices and have no mentor yet, meaning I can treat you however I want to treat you or how I see fit. And right now, Yang, Ruby has more of my respect than you," Blake said. "And never question my relationship with Summer, because you know nothing about how I know her so don't judge me," she added, walking away. Ruby sighed and crossed her arms, glaring at Yang.

"What?" the blonde said.

"You just had to open your mouth before thinking, didn't you?" the younger girl replied. "Sometimes I wonder who the younger sister is," she added. Yang opened up her mouth to say something before she was cut off by the Master Assassin in the room.

"Blake has suffered enough when it concerns Summer," Raven said. "Please, don't let her get into a dark mindset before she leaves to Atlas. They aren't too fond of Faunus there and with what she's doing there she'll be a major target by the Templar run government there," she told the girl. Yang rolled her eyes.

"She didn't know Summer as well as we did, she was found on the streets by Summer and that was it," she said firmly. Raven sighed.

"Do you really want to know about Blake and how she knew Summer?" she asked. Yang shrugged and Ruby nodded.

"I want to know what happened to make Blake so… distant from everyone," she said. Raven nodded and looked around.

"We can't talk here, let's go somewhere more private," she told them, starting to walk away. Ruby followed and motioned for Yang to do the same. Yang rolled her eyes and followed the two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the chapter. Like I said before, if you can guess I will tell you anything! Please read and review!


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Yang learn about Blake's past and Blake gets started on her solo mission and soon learns that there might be more to it than Ozpin and the others originally thought.

Raven led them to the recreational room where she knew Blake wouldn't come until right before bed. She motioned for them to sit at the table opposite of her and they did so. The older Assassin looked between the two before sighing. "Where should I start…" she muttered.

"How about where Summer supposedly met Blake?" Yang suggested. Ruby elbowed Yang in the ribs, making the older sister grumble. Raven chuckled softly and nodded.

"Alright, it was seven years ago on Hallows Eve actually," she said. Ruby tilted her head.

"That's why mom was late for my birthday that night…" she said softly. Raven nodded.

"She was walking back to the Burau after an assignment and heard rustling in an alley," she told them. "She didn't quite know what to expect but when she saw Blake, she couldn't help but picture you two. Standing before her was a six-year-old, cold, and wet cat-faunus who was malnourished and cold. She was lucky to have been found when she did because after the first few days here we realized how many health problems she had, though she was strong and pulled through," she told them. Yang rolled her eyes.

"That still doesn't explain why she acts the way she does towards us, especially Ruby," she said. Raven sighed.

"What would you have done if the person who saved you from dying on the streets was murdered right in front of you?" she asked. Yang shrugged, and Ruby went wide eyed.

"She was with mom when she died?" she asked. Raven nodded.

"Why do you think she wears black robes instead of white? She never wants to see blood on her clothes again, that way she doesn't have the guilty conscience of having her comrades blood on her hands," she said. She looked at Yang who was about to protest and cut her off. "She acts this way towards Ruby because she looks exactly like Summer and it brings back all the painful memories from years ago that she'd buried," she told her. "Summer was like a mother to her, they'd spend their days out in the courtyard reading or going through combat movements. Summer took the place that was left void when Blake's own mother was killed by the Templars and losing her was… like becoming an orphan all over again for her," Raven explained to them. Yang looked down in guilt and Ruby had a sad look on her face.

"That's horrible… What happened to Blake's parents?" she asked. Raven sighed.

"Her parents were assassins, just like yours, but they never told us of Blake and we didn't know of her when Kali and Ghira were killed by Templars. Burned alive in their own home, thankfully for some stroke of luck Blake was out at the market when it happened… she wears their blades as memorial for them and every Templar Blake kills is another step closer to finding her parents' killer," she said. Yang felt even worse and Ruby looked even more sad for the young Assassin.

"So… In essence… Blake has lost a mother twice…" Yang said softly, making Raven nod. "God, I feel like an ass," she muttered. Ruby looked at Raven.

"Why did Blake save us from bullies if she didn't even know us though?" the girl asked. Raven chuckled a little.

"Because she made a promise to Summer, that she would always protect you two," the older Assassin said. Ruby and Yang nodded and talked a little more with Raven until the woman had to report to the council chambers to review other contracts. Ruby and Yang noticed Blake come in and look at the board of contracts in the recreational room and talked amongst themselves.

"I feel really bad for her Yang… I mean, she's been through so much and she's only 19…" Ruby said softly. Yang nodded.

"Yeah… I mean, sure it was hard for us to lose mom… but Blake practically lost her mom twice… I couldn't imagine how that feels…" she replied, just as soft. They watched as Blake left the room with a determined look in her eyes. Yang looked at Ruby with a fire in her eyes. "Let's train as hard as we can so when Blake comes back, she respects us like we respect her," the blond-haired woman said. Ruby smiled and nodded.

"I couldn't agree more," she said. Yang smiled brightly and dragged her sister off to train.

Blake looked out over the city of Haven in Mistral, after three months in Atlas starting a revolution of Faunus and lower-class citizens she was finally here. She smiled and started running and climbing along the different buildings of the town. She kept a look out for the familiar symbol on the roofs of the buildings using her Eagle Vision but also had a little fun with swinging from the many palm trees that were along her path. She soon found her fun ending as she reached the Burau of Mistral and made her way inside to meet up with the other Assassins she would be working with, as she entered a young man with blue hair got the attention of a monkey faunus and gestured excitedly towards her.

"Sun look! It's the Black Cat of Vale!" the young man exclaimed. The monkey boy, Sun, looked and blinked.

"Wow, wonder what old Lionheart is needing her for? Surely we're not doing that bad in our Assassinations?" he wondered. His friend shrugged, and they watched as Blake made her way towards Lionheart's office. She knocked on the door and waited for permission to enter the room and stood in front of the desk. The older man and the Bull Faunus standing next to him smiled a little at her entrance.

"Ah, Blake Belladonna the legendary Black Cat Assassin of Vale. Such an honor to meet a prodigy," Lionheart said. Blake nodded and bowed her head in respect.

"It's an honor to meet you as well sir, Ozpin has told me much about you," she said. Lionheart smiled and shook her hand and introduced her to the other faunus.

"This is Adam Taurus, he's a member of the Vacuo Assassin's," the leader said. "Sienna Khan sent him in her stead as well, as far as I know you and he have nearly the same level of skill. He's a prodigy as well," the old man said. Blake looked at the man in respect before speaking.

"Ozpin didn't really tell me what it is I'm supposed to do here, all he said was to start the revolution in Atlas then report to Mistral," she said. Lionheart nodded.

"We've had troubles with the Templars here… I asked him if he'd come and help, but he said he was busy in Vale, but he'd send his best Assassin to help me out. I guess it's a good thing because he sent me a prodigy, the same with Sienna Khan," he said. There was a knock on his door and a Novice Assassin walked in and whispered something to him, he nodded and turned to the two Faunus. "If you'll excuse me, I have some important matters to discuss," he said before leaving the two in the room. Blake crossed her arms and Adam spoke up.

"I have the same feeling you do, so did Sienna. Her and the others are under the suspicion that old Leonidas Lionheart is working with the Templars, and his request for their help was just a ruse to get all the leaders of the Bureaus in one place and kill them all, effectively bringing disorder and panic to the Brotherhood," he said. Blake nodded.

"I think that's why Ozpin sent me, because he knows I won't be swayed by the Templars," she said. "After all, what kind of person would fall so easily to the same people who killed their parents?" Adam smiled.

"I guess this means we have quite a bit of work ahead of us," he told her. Blake nodded and introduced herself more to him, telling him all about her time in the Vale branch of the Brotherhood.

Years passed for both Blake and the sisters. While Yang and Ruby spent nearly every waking hour training and studying, Blake and Adam worked to uncover the secret plot they knew that the Templars had against the Assassins. Yang and Ruby always asked for any word from Blake, only ever receiving the answer that she could not send any letters as it would endanger herself and others if she were to be caught, so the sisters just opted to continue their training and tried not to worry about the intriguing cat faunus that had promised to protect them. Blake however, always thought about how things were going in Vale, especially now when her and Adam were wading through the sewers after having caught a lead on their suspicions. "Ugh… I may be a prodigy Assassin, but I never thought that any of my missions would lead me into a sewer," she said. Adam chuckled.

"Our life isn't a glamorous one Blake, we're Assassin's we don't have the luxurious lives our Templar counterparts have," he said. Blake sighed.

"Don't remind me, let's just get through this mission so we can get clean…" she grumbled. Adam laughed, and they walked for a little while in silence, soon they could hear people talking. They stopped and listened.

"Are you sure the annoying faunus haven't figured anything out Leonidas?" a male voice asked. They heard the older Assassin answer.

"I swear, they've no leads on what is happening here. They don't know about my meetings with you or that I've sold out many of my own Assassins to the Templars," he said. Blake and Adam shared a look. They listened for a little longer before heading back out to the main streets.

"We were right Blake, Leonidas has betrayed the Brotherhood," the older Faunus said. Blake nodded.

"The councils are not going to like hearing about this, we have to get the Mistral Assassins on our side or else we'll have a tough time explaining to the others why we killed a Master Assassin," she said.

"I think I can convince some of them, you might have better luck with Sun and his friends. They still don't seem to like me," Adam told her. Blake nodded.

"You get the others and I'll convince Sun and his group," she said. They both went their separate ways and spoke to the Assassins of the city, Sun, and Neptune both had a tough time believing that their own leader was in league with the Templars, but they knew that Blake would never lie about anything that big. Soon all the Assassins were meeting on what to do about the traitor and Adam spoke up.

"We must eliminate any threat to the Brotherhood, if the Templars infiltrate our ranks then we have no hope of protecting the people's rights," he said. "Leonidas Lionheart must be killed if our Brotherhood and Creed is to succeed," he told them. Many of the Assassins looked between themselves, not wanting to believe Adam. Blake sighed.

"If there was another way we'd certainly take it, but Leonidas' actions have resulted in the deaths of so many of your comrades. He wanted to get all the leaders of the Bureaus in one place to cause panic and disorder in the Brotherhood, as much as it pains me to say it, we must eliminate him to protect ourselves," she said. The other Assassins sadly agreed, and they planned to keep Leonidas in the Bureau as Blake and Adam carried out the Assassination, they waited until nightfall when they knew Lionheart would be in his office and they locked all exits from the outside so that he wouldn't be able to get out. Blake and Adam ran through their plan before enacting it. Blake would wait in the canteen as Adam scared Leonidas into a trap where Blake would then drop down from the rafters and kill the traitor. Blake patiently waited for them to enter and looked to the entrance as she heard their voices.

"I swear, I never meant to betray my friends! I was coerced into working with them!" Leonidas cried out. Blake heard Adam growl, his hood casting an ominous shadow across his face.

"You led many of the Assassins who trusted you to their deaths! You are a traitor to the Creed! The Brotherhood! What did you think would happen Leonidas?" he said.

"I didn't think it would go this far!"

"Ozpin and Sienna knew better than to come here, because they knew they couldn't trust you anymore. That's why they sent the two Assassins they could count on, not to fall to the Templars," Adam said. "Don't think we didn't notice your attempts to try and get us to come with you on your meetings. Templars killed my family right in front of me when I was 10 and enslaved me, Blake lost her parents to the Templars when she was three! You honestly think that we'd switch so easily?" Adam asked. Leonidas begged for his life and Adam kept moving him towards the designated spot, once they were there they stopped. "I do feel sorry Leonidas, for you that is," the Bull Faunus said. The old man smiled, hopeful that the Faunus man would not kill him only to look up towards the rafters of the room to see Blake poised to strike.

"No… No, I never wanted this!" he cried out in a vain attempt to save himself. Adam chuckled.

"You should've thought of that before you sold out your own comrades to the enemy," he said as Blake dropped down from the rafters. Before she could stand up and remove her blade the older Assassin grabbed her arm to whisper to her.

"Be… Careful who… You trust…" he rasped out. "Those closest to you… are… the only ones who are… pure…" Blake frowned but nodded, retracting the blade, and killing the man.

"Requiescat in pace," she muttered as she stood up. Adam glared down at the man, wondering what he had told Blake before the woman snapped him out of his musings.

"I must return to Vale and report to Ozpin as soon as possible," she said.

"You're not going to stay to greet the next leader?" he asked. Blake shook her head.

"I had a mission to investigate Lionheart and kill him if he proved to be a traitor, I've completed that mission and now I must return. I cannot waste any time," she told him. Adam sighed.

"I can't change your mind, can I?" he asked. Blake chuckled.

"I'm afraid there are only three people that can change my mind, and they're all in Vale," she said. Adam smiled a little and held out his hand for her to shake.

"It was a pleasure working with you Blake, I hope to see you again," he said. Blake nodded and shook his hand.

"Likewise, Adam, I wish you well on your path as an Assassin," she told him. The man nodded, and Blake turned to leave. Once she was gone Adam glared down at the body of Leonidas.

"You old fool, you could've cost us everything we've worked so hard to achieve. It's a good thing that Sienna doesn't suspect me, and it's a good thing that Ozpin sent such a clueless assassin…" he muttered before walking away.

Ruby was confused as to why she was being called to Ozpins office at such a late hour. She had to be up early for training with Yang and Qrow and she was still working on reading the Assassin's Codex. She knocked on the door and waited for an answer before entering the room. "You sent for me Ozpin?" she asked. The old man smiled.

"Ah Ruby, it's good to see you," he said. "And yes, I did send for you," he told her.

"Okay?" she asked. Ozpin chuckled.

"I have been told I'm not very clear on why I summon people, I have watched you for the past two years and you've turned into a fine Assassin. The council and I have evaluated yours and your sister's performance in training and have decided that you both are ready for apprenticeship," he explained. Ruby perked up.

"Really?" she asked, bouncing in excitement. Ozpin smiled.

"Yes, and we have decided on your mentors. Qrow will train Yang and your mentor just got back a few hours ago from their mission," he told her. Ruby tilted her head when Ozpin told whoever was on the other side of the door to enter the room, she went wide eyed when she saw who it was.

"You called for me Oz?" Blake asked.

"Yes, I wanted to congratulate you on your mission and introduce you to your new protégé," he said. Blake blinked.

"Protégé sir?" she asked. Ozpin nodded and pointed at Ruby, Blake looked at her and then looked back at Ozpin.

"Why was I not told of this when I returned?" she asked. Ozpin sighed.

"Because we all decided that it would be better if your partnership was kept secret from prying ears and eyes. There was a reason you were sent to Mistral Blake, and that has followed here, you know that, and I know that from your report earlier," he said. "You and anyone you take on as an apprentice are in danger, I know you would've made the same decision if you were me. Especially since it concerns Ruby as well," he added. The woman sighed.

"Alright. I get what you guys were doing, but that doesn't mean I like it," she said. Ozpin chuckled.

"I hope your attitude doesn't rub off on Ruby," he said. Blake rolled her eyes and Ruby laughed. Blake looked back at her with an indifferent face.

"Don't laugh, you'll see why I'm considered the most dangerous Assassin here in Vale come the morning, for now however, go rest. I'll come get you in the morning for breakfast," she told her. Ruby frowned.

"Aren't you going to bed too?" she asked. Blake shook her head.

"I need to talk to Ozpin more," she said. She smiled a little seeing the younger woman's worry. "Don't worry, I don't need much sleep to function. And who knows, we might get our first mission as well tomorrow if I believe you ready enough," she added. Ruby relaxed a little and nodded before leaving. Blake turned back to Ozpin with a serious face. "There's more I wanted to tell you in private about my mission, I couldn't risk the others letting it slip and alert the Templars that I'm onto them," she told him. Ozpin nodded for her to continue. "I believe that Sienna's right hand is working with the Templars," she told him. The older Assassin frowned.

"I was told that Adam had a deep hatred for Templars, that they murdered his family in front of him and he was taken as a slave only for Sienna to rescue the boy and take him under her wing," he said. Blake nodded.

"That is true, but I think that he's wanting more. I think he wants to oversee the Vacuo branch of Assassins and the only way he'll get that is if he sides with the Templars to take the position by force," she said. Ozpin nodded.

"Thank you for the information Blake, I will send word to Sienna of your suspicions," he told her. Blake nodded and turned to leave. "Blake," Ozpin said, making her turn back to the man. "Your parents and Summer would be proud of how far you've come," he said. The woman smiled softly and nodded before leaving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read and review! I would love to try and add any of your ideas into the story!


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Blake start training and Blake decides that Ruby is ready for her first mission: Escort Winter Schnee back to the Templar controlled kingdom of Atlas. Once there Ruby learns of the other Schnee sister and their escort mission turns into a rescue mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do realize the distances between the kingdoms is different than what is actually in the show, but I wrote this chapter before I even knew what the distances actually were so please... don't overreact and correct me... I'm only trying to write a story to keep people entertained

Ruby woke the next morning to a persistent banging on her door. She groaned and rolled out of bed and onto the floor, whining and rubbing her head. "I'm coming… just give me a moment…" she said. She got up and yawned before opening the door, blinking in surprise as she saw Blake standing there before remembering the conversation with Ozpin the night before. "How long did I sleep in…?" she asked. Blake shrugged.

"It's nearly breakfast, I thought I'd see if you were up. You read the books of Altair and Ezio? As well as Bayek?" she asked. Ruby looked back to her desk, seeing the scrolls and tomes she had been reading before nodding.

"Uh, yeah… I figured if my mom was such an amazing Assassin I should learn all I can about the order… The origins of the brotherhood, what the creed truly means… stuff like that," she said softly.

"You want to feel closer to your mother… don't you?" Blake asked. Ruby looked at her in surprise before nodding.

"How did you know?" she asked. Blake smiled and ran her hands along her hidden blade and her gauntlet.

"I had the same mindset as you after learning about my parents… Your mother helped me achieve that feeling by giving me all their old books, their journals, and directing me towards the very same materials you are reading. I assume Raven oversees your studies then?" she said. Ruby nodded.

"Yep, since you weren't here she was the next best choice. Dad still doesn't like the fact that Yang and I decided to be Assassins, so he doesn't help much…" she said. Blake nodded.

"I'm sure my parents were the same way, that's why I didn't know about it until Summer found me," she looked at the clock on the wall. "Why don't we go eat and get to know each other more?" she suggested. Ruby nodded and went over to where her coat was at. She put on the white and red garment and then followed Blake out to the canteen. "What do you want to know about me before we go train?" the older Assassin asked as they sat down. Ruby thought for a moment before looking into her mentors eyes.

"I want to know who you are Blake," she said. Blake stared at Ruby for a moment, considering on giving her the least amount of information possible but sighed, not being able to do so while looking at eyes identical to her saviors.

"Alright… I guess I should start with my parents," she said. "My father was from Mistral and my mother was from Vacuo, they were both Assassins and they were sent to Vale as reinforcements during the great war. They met and fell in love, they married and eventually I came along however, none of the Assassins knew about me. They kept me secret from everything because they were working on uncovering Templar spies in the brotherhood and they did not want to put me in danger. My father, Ghira, was a Master Assassin and my mother, Kali, was his successor if he were to fall in battle… Though one day when I was four, I had gone out with the other children of the slums like we usually did, only to come back to see my house in flames and my parents nowhere to be found… I spent the next three years on my own until that rainy Hallows Eve when your mother found me, I was starving and cold and did not know if I would make it till the next morning… She took me here when I told her my name and the rest is history," Blake told Ruby.

"So that is why she was so late that night…" the younger of the two said, remembering. "I thought it was because she had stopped to get me my present and just got caught up in the market… I guess she saved you on my birthday that year…" she said. Blake smiled softly, then frowned and looked down. "What is it?" Ruby asked her. Blake shook her head and stood up.

"Come on, let us go see if you're ready to go out on a mission with me," she said softly. Ruby frowned but followed the Faunus to the training ring. Once there Blake threw Ruby a sword.

"Uhh… I do not fight with a sword Blake… I use a scythe like Qrow…" the girl said. Blake rolled her eyes.

"You need to fight with more than just a scythe Ruby, your opponents will not wait for you to find a weapon suitable for your battle style. You must learn to fight with all weapons," she said firmly, swinging her own sword at her. Ruby quickly blocked it and spun around to strike at Blake. They went on for a bit like this, striking and blocking as Blake worked Ruby's swordplay up so she would be prepared to fight with any Templar that may cross their path. After a few hours of training with different weapons they took a short break for lunch, Ruby sitting down with a heavy sigh next to her sister and Qrow. The old man chuckling.

"Blake went all out with you, didn't she?" he asked. Ruby glared at him.

"It was horrible, she'd hit me harder every time I messed up," she said with a slight growl. Qrow laughed.

"That is what happens when Raven trains a kid from the time they are sixteen till they are twenty," he said. "Her harsh training regimen gets passed down and it sucks for the next person that gets trained by the Assassin," he added. Ruby whined and thumped her head on the table as Blake sat down next to Qrow.

"Good afternoon Master Qrow," she greeted. She looked at Yang and nodded her head respectfully. "Yang, it's good to see you both," she said. Qrow chuckled at the look on Yang's face when Blake greeted her.

"Don't start anything Yang, you know you'll never beat her," he said. Yang grumbled and ate her meal, glaring at both Qrow and Blake as the two talked between them about Blake's mission to Mistral. She glanced at Ruby and laughed as her younger sister made a face as the two more experienced Assassins talked, they went back and forth with faces and gestures before Raven came in.

"Qrow, Ozpin wants to see you and Yang in his office," she said. The older man sighed and stood up.

"C'mon Yang, time to go," he said. Yang groaned and stood up, waving at Ruby.

"See you later Rubes," she said. Ruby waved back.

"Bye Yang, have fun!" she said, laughing when her sister looked back in annoyance. Blake chuckled and shook her head.

"Yours and your sisters interactions with each other are quite funny," she said. Ruby looked at her.

"How so?" she asked.

"You two are adults, yet you act like children. I don't understand it," she said. Ruby smiled.

"Well, when you do what we do for a living… you kinda have to keep a childlike personality at times to keep going," she told the woman. Blake thought for a moment.

"I guess I never thought of it like that…" she muttered.

"You never really had the chance to be a kid, you had to grow up faster than everyone else. But that's okay, maybe now that you are older and are mentoring me, you will be able to finally express yourself and be more… free," Ruby said with a smile. Blake nodded and stood up.

"Come on, I have something I need to give you," she said. Ruby tilted her head but stood up and followed Blake to her room. She looked around in wonder, seeing all the little knickknacks that the Assassin had, as well as the carving of a symbol on the door.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing to the carving on the door. Blake looked and smiled softly.

"That is my personal assassin crest, I made it shortly after your mother's death. She inspired me to make it as she had the same thing, though a different design," she explained. Ruby nodded.

"Could you help me make one?" she asked. Blake blinked in surprise, and nodded.

"If that is what you wish," she said, reaching up for a box on the top shelf of her bookshelf. Ruby looked at her and watched as she looked down at the box, seeming lost in memories before she shook her head and turned back to Ruby. "This is for you," she said, holding out the box. Ruby tilted her head and took it, opening it and blinking.

"This is… an Assassin Gauntlet…" she said softly. Blake nodded. "You… Had this made for me?" she asked. Blake shook her head.

"It was your mothers… I kept it safe and was waiting for the day I could give it to you… or give it to your mentor to give to you…" she said. Ruby nodded and took the gauntlet out and placed it on her wrist, making the blade pop out and retract and looking at all the other parts. "It's tradition for anyone whose parents were assassins to gain their blades when they join if their parent or parents have died… It saves on material and time," she explained, running her hands along her own blade and gauntlet. Ruby noticed this.

"That's how you got yours?" she asked. Blake nodded.

"Master Raven gave them to me before our first mission… she told me my parents would be proud to have me carry on their legacy by using their blades… But to me… They just are a weight and reminder that I'll always be in their shadow…" she said softly. Ruby frowned softly before putting the gauntlet on her wrist.

"Well, we can try and make our parents proud together," she said, looking at her mentor. Blake smiled and nodded before motioning for her to follow.

"Come on, I have a contract that I think you'll be able to handle with me," she said, making Ruby smile in excitement and follow her. Blake laughed lightly at her excitement. "Keep on guard Ruby, don't let your emotions get the better of you. Just follow my lead and keep your blade sharp," she told her. Ruby nodded.

"Where exactly are we going Blake?" she asked. Blake smiled.

"We're escorting another Assassin to Atlas," she said. Ruby tilted her head.

"Why would another Assassin need an escort back to Atlas?" she asked, confused.

"Because she has the daughter to a well-known merchant family and she has going in normal clothes, so the high numbers of Templars do not catch onto her," Blake explained as they arrived in the stables, a woman a few years older than Blake with blue eyes and white hair was already there preparing a horse. "It's good to see you again Winter, how have things been in Atlas been the past few years since I was there?" she greeted. Winter looked up and smiled at Blake.

"It's good to see you as well Blake, things have been going well in Atlas. The brotherhood has expanded quite well since you left, I believe in a few years' time the Templar presence in Atlas will decrease dramatically," she said. Blake nodded and motioned to Ruby.

"Winter, this is my apprentice, Ruby Rose. Ruby, this is Winter Schnee, second in command of the Atlas Brotherhood of Assassins," she introduced. Ruby shook Winter's hand.

"It's nice to meet you Winter," she said. Winter smiled.

"It's nice to meet you too Ruby, I suppose we'll be working together quite a bit if you're Blake's apprentice," she said. Ruby looked at the Cat-Faunus who smiled softly.

"I do get sent to Atlas quite a bit, so I suppose so," she said. Ruby smiled at the thought of going to a new kingdom many times. Blake then changed the subject. "I suppose it's still not safe for Ruby and me to enter the limits of the kingdom wearing our robes," she said. Winter nodded.

"Yes, the Templar presence there is still a little too high for two assassins to waltz right into town," she said. Ruby looked at Blake.

"We're going into a city filled with Templars? Isn't that a little risky?" she asked.

"It's always risky for an assassin to go into Atlas, but there is a brotherhood there which is what Winter is a part of. Her family are Templars apart from her and her sister, but it is still dangerous for them to leave and return in their assassin's robes, so they must travel in their regular clothes, so we must travel in civilian clothes as well," Blake explained. Ruby nodded. The two quickly left to change before meeting back with Winter, the three quickly set out on their horses towards the country of Atlas.

"How long until we get to Atlas?" Ruby asked after a little bit.

"It'll take three to four hours depending on how many stops we have to take," Winter told her, making the girl nod and shift. Winter took notice and looked at Blake. "She doesn't do well with long rides I take it?" she asked her. Blake shrugged.

"This is her first mission outside of the things we give novices, it's where I can gauge how she'll do on her own and on future missions with me," she answered. Winter frowned.

"You're taking her on her first mission in Atlas? While it's still crawling with Templars?" she asked. "Even I have a tough time letting Weiss be a part of the brotherhood, let alone letting her do solo missions in the kingdom limits," she told her. Blake shrugged.

"If Ruby is anything like her mother was then she should have no problem with being in Atlas with me on a mission," she told her. Winter frowned, looking back at Ruby who was looking around in awe at the scenery around them.

"Blake, she looks even younger than Weiss. Is it wise to have someone so young coming to Atlas with us?" she asked. Blake sighed.

"I appreciate the concern Winter, but she's the daughter of Summer Rose. Ozpin even agreed to this mission so I'm not to blame for bringing her here, I would've liked to train her more, but Oz thinks she's ready for a mission like this, I've told her of the risks and told her to stay close to me," she said, having a conflicted look in her eyes. Winter noticed.

"She's special to you," she pointed out. Blake sighed.

"Her mother is the only reason I'm alive, I made a promise to Summer that I'd take care of her and this mission isn't helping my confidence in my abilities," she explained. Winter nodded and looked forward at the road ahead.

"Summer knew you could protect her daughter, that's why she asked you such a thing. Don't be discouraged by your mind, believe in the trust that Summer had for you and everything will work out just fine," she said. Blake scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Is that some of your Templar wisdom that you're giving me?" she asked. Winter smiled.

"Maybe," she said simply, causing them both to laugh. They soon arrived in Atlas and Ruby looked around in awe at the new kingdom around her, Blake noticed and called back to her.

"Ruby, stay close," Ruby nodded and quickly caught up to her mentor and Winter, keeping an eye out for any dangers. They soon came upon a large manor that had a familiar looking symbol on its gate. Ruby tilted her head.

"Aren't there a lot of Templars here? Why is our symbol so out in the open?" she asked. Winter chuckled.

"The Templars don't look for this stuff because they've never had a problem with Assassins in Atlas before, so they don't really look at the minute details of the homes they visit," she explained. "None of the Templars in Atlas know that this is the bureau, they all just think it's another manor of the elite," she added. Ruby nodded in understanding as they led their horses to the stable and put them in the stalls.

"Why are we putting our horses away Blake? Aren't we going right back to Vale?" she asked, turning to the cat-faunus.

"We would've if we didn't start so late," she said. "It would get dark on the road and you don't want to be out when the Grimm come out to play… I learned that one personally," she added. Ruby nodded.

"So, we're staying here tonight then?" she asked. Blake nodded, putting her riding gear away and brushed down her horse.

"We'll leave at first light tomorrow, get a good night's rest," she told her. Ruby nodded and finished taking care of her horse before heading inside to find out her rooming arrangements. Blake watched as Ruby took one last look back at her before entering the house. Blake sighed and looked back at Winter. "So, how are things going here? Hope there hasn't been too much trouble since I left," she said. Winter chuckled.

"Things have been well here Blake, though my little sister has taken an interest in our activities," she answered. Blake frowned.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think that the Assassins would have such an influence on Weiss," she apologized. Winter put a hand on the cat-faunus' shoulder.

"Don't apologize Blake, you only did what you were told. I couldn't protect her from the truth forever, no matter how hard I tried," she said, smiling softly. "I just have to try and protect her from the harm of the Templars until she's ready to go out on her own," she added. Blake nodded.

"Let's go inside and get something to eat, I'm sure Ruby is looking for me and I'd rather not linger outside in a town full of Templar's for too long…" she said. Winter nodded and started moving inside, Blake following her.

Once inside Blake found her protégé and caught up with her, asking her what she thought of the city so far. "It's okay I guess, colder than Vale. And I can feel the tension in the air," Ruby said. Blake nodded.

"Atlas is the northern most kingdom, and it's mainly made up of Templars. The lower-class citizens have few rights and the faunus are constantly mistreated," she told the younger woman. Ruby nodded and walked with her mentor as she listened to Blake talk. "While we are here for the night I want you to listen to me and do exactly as I say, all right? I promised your mother that I would protect you and that's exactly what I'm going to do," she finally told her. Ruby nodded.

"I promise I'll listen to you Blake, you don't have to worry," she said. Blake nodded.

"Good, you take direction well," she said, walking towards the dining hall. Ruby watched as the cat ears on top of her mentor's head swiveled as she listened to everyone and everything around her.

"She really doesn't trust people here… I guess that goes along with her hate for the Templars," Ruby thought. They entered the dining hall and quickly got their food before sitting down. "Hey Blake?" she asked. Blake looked up at her to show she was listening. "Why did Ozpin want a Burau of Assassins here in Atlas? Didn't he think it was too dangerous to have this many Assassins living in plain sight of a bunch of Templars?' she asked the woman. Blake smiled.

"You would think that, but Oz is a unique character. He likes to try and do the impossible, and making a Burau of Assassins in Atlas was pretty much the impossible," she answered. Ruby nodded.

"So… Why did he send you then?" she asked. Blake chuckled softly, running her hands along her gauntlet and hidden blade.

"Because it was what my parents were going to do before they were murdered. They had the plans and everything, Oz just needed time to decipher the code that my father had created," she explained. "Once they knew exactly what my parents were planning and that they left key instructions on how to do it, they decided that it would be better if I constructed a Burau here. Though when I had done that and was going to leave for Mistral, the Atlas branch had asked me if I could be their head. I had to turn them down of course," she told her. Ruby tilted her head.

"Why did you have to turn them down?" she asked. Blake sighed.

"Only Master Assassins can lead a branch Ruby, and even though I'm a prodigy among our branch I'm still only an Assassin. I haven't gained the right of Master Assassin," she told her.

"How do you become one?" the younger asked.

"By putting your life on the line in the field or just proving that you're ready to be a master. It's not an easy task either way," Blake told her. "Now enough talk about this, eat and then study your texts that you brought along. I'll be in before you go to sleep to test you on what you read," Ruby nodded and ate her food before bidding farewell to her mentor and heading off to her room. Blake sighed and ate slowly, thinking on her conversation with Ruby. She was halfway done with her food when an irritated Winter Schnee sat down in front of her. "Uh oh… I know that look, who broke the rules this time…?" the Vale Assassin asked. Winter growled under her breath.

"My own sister apparently, she went out on a search and destroy contract without me. I need your help to find her and bring her back here," she answered. Blake nodded and stood up.

"Let me just go tell Ruby and I'll be at the front doors to meet you," she said. Winter looked at her.

"You're going to bring your protégé along?" she asked, confused. Blake shook her head.

"No, just telling her not to wait up for me," she assured her. "I promised her mother I'd protect her, and I'm not about to endanger her by bringing her out into a town crawling with Templars," she added. Winter nodded and stood up as well.

"I'll meet you by the front then," she said. Blake then made her way to Ruby's room, knocking on the door before entering. The younger woman looked up from her book.

"Change of plans Ruby, I have to go out and help Winter," she said. Ruby stood up.

"I'll go with you," she said, getting excited. Blake put a hand on her apprentice's shoulder, shaking her head.

"No Ruby, I need you to stay here. I do not think you are ready to go around a town filled with Templars. You're inexperienced with them and I'd rather not have to explain to your father or sister how you got injured while under my watch," she told her. Ruby pouted softly but nodded.

"Fine… But be safe, I have heard stories about how you get carried away with a mission and do not watch your back," she said. Blake sighed, cursing Raven under her breath.

"Don't worry Ruby, I'll be safe. You just stay here and focus on your studies," she told her. Ruby nodded and sat back down on her bed. "I'll be back before morning," Blake added before leaving. Ruby sighed and stared at the door her mentor left through.

"You better come back safe… Otherwise Raven is going to be pissed with you," she said to herself. Blake met Winter at the main doors, both women wearing their Assassins Robes.

"You always look so cool with all that black," Winter said, making Blake chuckle.

"There's a reason I wear the color, but looking cool is just a bonus," she said. Winter chuckled, and they set out to find Weiss. They walked around the dark alleys listening for any sign of Templars talking about an Assassin, Winter getting increasingly frustrated.

"Damn it Weiss… I keep telling her to wait for me to get back from my missions before going out on hers, but she never listens to me!" she said, kicking a rock down an alley. Blake put a hand on her shoulder.

"Relax Winter, we'll find her. If you can get me to a safe and high place I can use my Eagle Vision to find exactly where she is at," she said. Winter nodded and motioned for her to follow which Blake did. Winter led her to an unguarded church.

"This is the only church in the city that they don't bother to guard," she said.

"Why not?" Blake asked. Winter smirked.

"Because it is in the poorest district and they would never think that the Assassins would use it as a vantage point against them," she explained. Blake chuckled.

"I taught you well the last time I was here," she said, moving to climb the side of the building.

"You are the best in Vale, or so they say," the older Schnee told her. Blake rolled her eyes.

"I'm just exceptionally gifted at what I do," she said with a smile. Winter laughed and kept a lookout as Blake climbed up the building and to the highest point, she looked around at the city before closing her eyes and using her Eagle Vision ability. She looked around the city and finally saw what she was looking for, groaning a little when she figured out what exactly was going on. She stood up and leaped off the roof and into a waiting cart full of hay next to Winter. The woman came over and helped Blake out of the cart.

"Well, did you find her?" she asked. Blake nodded and looked at the woman.

"You're not going to enjoy what I have to tell you," she said.

"What happened?" she asked, worried.

"She was captured by the Templars and is now being held in your father's house," she said. Winter groaned.

"Shit, now he knows that we're working with the Assassins," she said.

"Of course he knows Weiss is, but he does not know you are," Blake told her. "You know Weiss would never give you up like that," she added, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're too important to her," Winter sighed.

"You're right Blake," she said. Blake smiled.

"I'm always right," she answered. Winter rolled her eyes.

"Stop being so cocky, now how are we going to get Weiss out of there?" she asked. Blake thought for a moment before snapping her fingers.

"Jacques doesn't suspect you of being an Assassin, so he'd let you into the home to visit and discuss things, right?" she asked. Winter nodded.

"I'm still tied to the Templars, so I can be trusted with key information," she said. Blake smiled.

"That is exactly what we need," she said. "You're going to distract your father and I'll get Weiss out of there," she told her. Winter sighed.

"Of course… I'm always the distraction when it comes to him," she said.

"You're the only one that can discuss information like that with him, we both know he doesn't trust James, so you have to be the one to do that," Blake told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Winter sighed and nodded.

"Alright, let us go save my sister," she said. Blake smiled and nodded. They made their way to the Schnee Manor, Winter ditching her Assassins jacket and weapons in a safe spot in favor of just her blouse, trousers, and boots. Blake quickly made her way into the shadows as they got closer to the Manor, she watched as Winter walked up to the door and knocked. A maid answered and let her inside, Blake then slowly made her way towards the main house and to the area she had seen Weiss. She listened to the world around her, especially to the Manor before scaling the side of the building to the balcony on the third floor.

Meanwhile, Winter stood in the foyer as she waited for Jacques Schnee to come and see her. She looked around the room and sighed. "Why don't I recognize anything anymore?" she thought to herself. She looked at the family portraits along the wall smiling wistfully at the many good memories that they brought to her mind. She straightened her posture when she heard the door open and caught her father entering the room out of the corner of her eyes.

"Winter, what a pleasant surprise. I assume your business in Vale was a success?" he asked. Winter nodded.

"The Schnee Family now has control of many of Vale's ports father, our hold is almost worldwide with the exception of Menagerie and Vacuo," she told him. Jacques nodded with a smile.

"Perfect, things are going according to plan then, hopefully within the next year we will be able to control every port and shipping lane in the world giving our family total control over the worlds commerce," he said. Winter nodded.

"And the Assassin's?" she asked. Jacques scoffed.

"They'll be no more by the time we're finished, Salem will make sure of that," he told her. "I just wish your sister hadn't gotten caught up with them," he added, pouring Winter some wine. Winter looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Jacques sighed, looking down at the wine in his glass.

"She was caught wearing the robes of the Assassins, trying to sabotage our warehouses in the port district. She was interrogated and then they brought her here, we're keeping her until Salem gets here," he explained. Winter tilted her head.

"And what will she do to her?" the woman asked. Jacques sighed.

"More than likely she will be interrogated more before being killed," he told her. Winter gasped.

"You can't let them do that! She's your daughter! Your own flesh and blood!" she cried out. Jacques turned to her with fury in his eyes.

"She's not my daughter! She sided with our enemies, she will never have any claim to our family as long as I live!" he yelled. This started an arguing match that Blake could hear from outside.

"Come on Winter, don't blow your cover yet… just wait until I have Weiss out of here," she muttered as she picked the lock on the balcony door. Her ears flicked, and she smiled as the lock clicked and she stepped inside the room, she looked around and noticed the room was dark and only had a chair in its center. She carefully and silently made her way over to the chair and looked at the girl who was almost limp in it, she looked over her body and saw a multitude of injuries. She noticed the harsh gash along the young woman's eye and ripped off a piece of her robes, gently tying it across the girls face. Weiss whimpered softly but relaxed as Blake cut the ropes binding her to the chair.

"W-Winter…?" she softly asked. Blake smiled.

"Not quite, but she's distracting your father," she answered her. "I'm gonna get you out of here, just lean forward and wrap your arms around my shoulders okay?" she told her. Weiss did as she was told and grunted as her injuries flared up as Blake stood up.

"Blake? I thought you were in Vale…" she said, clutching tightly to the dark Assassin. Blake chuckled and carefully made her way towards the balcony, she could still hear Winter and Jacques fighting and soon Weiss could hear it too as they got down the wall. "How will Winter know I'm safe…?" the girl asked. Blake chuckled and glanced up at her.

"Cover your ears," she said. Weiss did so, confused but trusted the woman as she pulled out a small little round object. Blake lit it and tossed it towards the front door before holding onto Weiss as she took off running. Weiss gasped as she heard the loud boom.

"That was your signal?!" she cried. Blake smiled.

"Don't worry, Winter's cover wasn't blown. I only made it look like your Assassin colleagues came and rescued you, though you'd never be able to show your face in Atlas for a long time now," she answered. Weiss grumbled.

"It's not my fault… Winter never trusted me, if she had I probably wouldn't have gone off on my own and wouldn't have gotten captured like I did…" she said. Blake sighed.

"Winter only wanted to keep you out of all of this for as long as she could, now quit talking. We're still not in the clear, we're two Assassins out in a town crawling with Templars and I'm being slowed down by you since you can't move that well. So just keep quiet until we get to the Bureau, okay?" she asked. Weiss nodded and held onto the Faunus as they slowly made their way towards the building, they had to duck behind walls and crates every so often as they made their way back to the bureau. Once there Blake called Ruby to her in order to help her with Weiss, she ordered everyone to keep Winter out of the room in order to not have the elder Schnee out of the room. Soon she came out to talk to Winter about what was going on.

"Why can't I go in and see her?" she asked, glaring at the dark-haired assassin. Blake sighed.

"She knows you'll be mad at her, so as the one who helped care for her injuries I feel it's best if there be no added stress to hinder her recovery," she told the Atlesian Assassin. Winter growled and stood up straighter to try and intimidate Blake more.

"You will let me see my sister, you have to," she said. Blake stood her ground.

"As you are family, that does by normal standards mean that I should let you see her. But as her personal health physician right now, in accordance with Brotherhood guidelines, what I say goes. It doesn't matter if your family or not, since I'm obviously the senior member with a protégé here, you have to follow my word," she said. Winter clenched her jaw and turned around before walking away, Blake sighed and turned to the door as Ruby stepped out. "How is she doing?" she asked the young woman. Ruby looked up at her Mentor and smiled tiredly.

"She's asleep but recovering, I think she should be good to go within a week or two. But I would recommend at least a month before she return to active duty," she said. Blake nodded and put her hand on the woman's shoulder.

"Go rest Ruby, it's been a long day," she told her.

"Okay… But you should sleep to," Ruby said reluctantly. Blake smiled softly.

"I will, after I write up a report about the mission," she said. Ruby nodded and headed down to her quarters that she'd been given in the large house. Blake watched her go before heading to her own room, she sat down at her desk and started on the lengthy report she would give Ozpin when they get back to Vale. The two Vale Assassins stayed for a few days, helping the Atlesian Assassins in different contracts. Winter hardly ever spoke to Blake or Ruby as neither of them would let her in to see Weiss, though one day while Blake was changing the woman's bandages she got a surprising request.

"Take me back to Vale with you," she said, making the black clad assassin stop and stare at her.

"Um… What?" she asked. Weiss looked up at her.

"I want you to take me with you when you go back to Vale. I don't belong in Atlas, besides my father thinks I'm dead anyway so there's no point in me staying here," she explained.

"But what about your sister?" she asked. Weiss looked down, clutching her blankets.

"It would be best for the both of us if I left and became an Assassin for Vale. She wouldn't have to worry about me and she wouldn't smother me all the time," she told her. Blake thought for a moment before nodding.

"I will speak to Ironwood about it, but I'm sure the request will go through and you'll be able to ride back with me and Ruby," she said. Weiss nodded, and Blake finished dressing the wounds. She started making her way out of the room when she was stopped by Weiss's voice once again.

"Blake?" she said. The Faunus turned around to face her. "thank you again, for saving my life. Not many Faunus would do that for someone like me, Assassin or not," she told her. Blake nodded.

"You're a comrade Weiss, I swore to never see a comrade die again," she said. Weiss nodded and looked back out the window, Blake watched her for a moment before leaving. She walked around the halls for a bit before going to Ironwood's office where he was currently meeting with Winter.

"Ah, Miss Belladonna. I take it you and Miss Rose are set to leave within the week?" he asked. Blake nodded.

"Yes sir, though there is one more thing I would like to bring up," she said. Ironwood nodded and motioned for her to speak. "One of your own Assassins has requested to join me and Ruby back in Vale. She was pretty adamant on doing so and I'm afraid that if you deny her, she will just follow us anyway," she said.

"And who is this Assassin that you speak of?" Ironwood asked. Blake looked to him and then Winter before sighing.

"Weiss Schnee," she said. Winter immediately stiffened and shook her head.

"No, absolutely not," she said. Ironwood looked at her.

"And why do you think she shouldn't go Winter?" he asked. Winter looked at him.

"You know her record here in Atlas sir, she'd only cause trouble in Vale," she said. Blake looked at her.

"Actually, she believes that it would be irrelevant for her to stay here. Jacques believes she's dead as well as the other Templars, and they don't suspect you of being in league with the Brotherhood. She believes that if she went to Vale and forged her own path, things would be better here in Atlas for you as you'd only be focusing on that and not worrying about her constantly," she told the older woman. Winter looked at her coldly.

"I will not allow Weiss to go with you, she is too young and doesn't know what she's talking about," she said, Ironwood cleared his throat.

"Miss Schnee, I believe that it is my decision to allow Weiss to leave as she has requested a transfer. You must remember that she is no longer your protégé, but an active member of the Brotherhood. And as she is currently under my jurisdiction, I have the say in her transfer. From what I've seen, she only acts out because of your overprotectiveness so I believe that she should be granted permission to travel with Miss Belladonna and her protégé Miss Rose back to Vale to continue her career there," he told them. Winter turned to him to speak but was silenced by a hand that he rose. "There will be no further arguments about this Winter, I need you here 100%," he told her. Winter sighed and nodded, she turned to Blake before walking out of the room.

"I don't believe she likes me very much," she said. Ironwood sighed.

"She just hasn't met someone like you before," he told her.

"Someone like me?" she asked. James smiled.

"You were the youngest Assassin the Brotherhood has seen since ancient times Blake, Ozpin speaks highly about your skill and to a prodigy like Winter, you're a threat," he told her. "She doesn't want to believe that a Faunus such as yourself can be superior to her, it's how she was raised. But she's slowly learning to accept it, just give her time," he added. Blake nodded.

"If we're done, I would like to go train with my protégé. Even though we're on a mission I still need to make sure she's keeping up with her studies and training," she said. Ironwood nodded.

"Very well, I will see you later then. Enjoy the rest of your stay here in Atlas," he told her. Blake nodded and exited the office before heading down to the common room, she looked around and spotted Ruby talking with a few others. She made her way over and tapped the younger woman's shoulder, Ruby tuned and looked at her and smiled.

"Oh, hey Blake," she said. "I was just talking to Flynt and Neon, she's a cat Faunus just like you," she told her. Blake looked at the two and nodded upon seeing the cat Faunus's tail before she looked back at Ruby.

"Come on, we need to go train," she told her. Ruby made a face.

"But we're already on a mission," she said.

"And that doesn't mean you can't just skip training, come on. We need to go," Blake told her, grabbing her by the hood and dragging her off. Ruby complained the whole way to the training arena, up until Blake stopped and shoved her towards the other side. "The longer you complain, the longer we're going to be here," she said. Ruby sighed and drew her weapon.

"Fine, let's just get this over with," she said, taking a stance. Blake chuckled and took her own stance.

"Just don't get too far ahead of yourself Ruby, you may be Summer's daughter but that doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you," she told her. Ruby nodded and charged at Blake who quickly anticipated the attack and blocked it. They continued at this for a while, not noticing being watched by the Schnee siblings. Weiss looked at them in amazement while Winter kept a neutral face.

"Wow! They're so amazing! I've never seen anything like it Winter, have you?" the younger asked her sister. Winter watched the two as they fought, both going all out as if it were a real battle.

"I suppose they are quite skilled… though I don't understand why they fight like it's life or death," she said. Weiss looked up at her.

"Maybe it's just a really intense training regimen?" she asked. Winter shook her head.

"No… it seems like it's more than just training… more like, preparation of some sort," she said. "I suppose with who Ruby's mother was and how her and Blake were connected, Blake is preparing her for the hard life of an Assassin. The very same life she lost her mother too," she explained. Weiss tilted her head.

"Ruby's mother was an Assassin?" she asked. Winter nodded.

"Her father is one too, and Blake was the same way. Her parents were Assassins, her father from Menagerie and her mother from Mistral. They were assigned to Vale and on the high council, they were reported to be killed by Templars and no one knew they had Blake, so the Assassins didn't know to look for a child. Summer found her as a child and brought her to the Brotherhood where she decided to be like her parents… Only to lose Summer on her first mission after graduating from being a novice. I couldn't imagine what it must be like to be the mentor to the child of the mentor who you failed…" she told Weiss. Weiss looked back down at the two with a frown and saw them both out of breath, yet still going at it. Both sisters jumped when Ironwood came up behind them.

"You're wrong about one thing Winter, Blake hasn't failed Summer," he told her. Winter looked up at him.

"But, she was the reason Summer died," she said. Ironwood chuckled.

"Summer chose to protect the girl, but Blake didn't fail her. Summers last wish was for Blake to watch out for Ruby, and now she's doing just that. Watching out for Ruby by training her to be ready for battle at any moment," he said. Weiss and Winter nodded, both looking back to the two in the arena.

"To be so young and have such a burden… I couldn't even comprehend what it must feel like…" Winter thought as she watched. "Then I'll do my best to help! I'll rid Atlas of the Templars, and help the Brotherhood and Blake protect the world!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes there were references to Assassin's Creed in this chapter. I am a big fan of the series and I just thought that combining it with RWBY would be amazing.


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Blake return to Vale with Weiss in tow, after giving her report about what happened in Atlas the council holds a meeting to discuss Blake's future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are enjoying it, I will try to update this and my Tomb Raider one regularly as these two are the ones that I have constant ideas as well as a direction in which they are going to go. Though, things might get slow as I am currently trying to find a way to get more income as to be able to afford a trip to Burbank, California in order to attend an acting conference to perform for casting agents and directors to hopefully try and get into the entertainment business.

The week passed by in a blur for the Assassins and it was soon time for them to leave Atlas and return to Vale. Blake and Ruby were loading their saddles and listened to the Schnee sisters. "Now, you're sure you have everything with you?" Winter asked.

"For the hundredth time Winter, yes I have everything. Stop worrying so much, Blake and Ruby will watch out for me," Weiss told her sister. Winter sighed and pulled her into a hug.

"You're my little sister Weiss, it's my job to worry about you," she said, making Weiss sigh and hug back.

"I know, but you need to focus on your work here in Atlas. I will come back every now and then, but you need to stay focused here. And you can't reveal that I'm alive to our father, the Templars think I'm dead, so it's easy for me to make a name for myself without being connected back to you if I'm in Vale," she said. Winter nodded and let her go, helping her onto her horse.

"Before you go, take this. You'll always be a Schnee Weiss, father only married into the family. You and I are the true Schnee's of the family, don't forget that," she said, handing Weiss a necklace. Weiss took it and looked at it in surprise.

"This is… Mothers…" she said. Winter nodded.

"Remember, she was the one who brought the Assassins here. She's the start of all this and it's up to us to finish it," she said. Weiss nodded and put the necklace on.

"I'll be back for the final fight, just be sure to save some Templars for me," she said with a smile. Winter smiled back.

"I'd have no one else by my side when we storm the manor sister," she said. Ironwood came up to Blake and handed her a few files.

"These are for Ozpin, be sure these get to him safely," he said. Blake nodded.

"You don't have to worry sir, these will be the first things I deliver when we get back," she told him. Ironwood nodded and watched as her and Ruby mounted their horses, he looked over at Ruby.

"Miss Rose, I know your mother would be proud of you if she were to see you today," he said. Ruby smiled and nodded, he looked to all three of them. "Safe travels back to Vale, and tell Qrow I said hi," he said. Blake nodded and turned to her companions.

"Let's go, we should make it back before dark," she said. Ruby and Weiss nodded and they all set off towards Vale. During their ride Weiss caught up to Ruby who looked over at her.

"I was wondering… What is it like having Blake as a mentor?" she asked. Ruby smiled a little.

"It gets to be a little intense sometimes but it's good. She understands my limits and never exceeds them too far, I think it has to do with me looking so much like my mother," she said. Weiss nodded.

"Your mother… she found Blake, right?" she asked. Ruby nodded.

"It was my third birthday, she found her in an alley and took her to the Bureau after learning who she was. After that Blake became a ward of the Brotherhood and did all that she could to become the best Assassin she could be," she told her. Weiss nodded.

"But?" she asked. Ruby sighed.

"But, when Blake was twelve or thirteen she went out on a mission with my mom and Raven… They were supposed to stop a Templar plot, they did succeed thankfully but… the mission came with a cost," she said.

"Your mother lost her life on the mission," Weiss said softly. Ruby nodded.

"Yeah… She protected Blake, though before she died she told Blake to watch out for me and Yang and one day teach me. The council took that into account when they assigned us to our mentors and assigned me to Blake," she said. "It's also the reason why Blake wears black robes," she added. Weiss tilted her head and Ruby laughed at her expression before smiling. "She says that it's so she can't decipher if she has allies blood on her or enemies blood, so she can complete a mission with a clear conscience," Weiss nodded and looked back to the Faunus.

"I couldn't imagine what it's like to have so much happen to her… And at such a young age," she said softly. Ruby chuckled a little and looked to her mentor and sighed softly.

"Yeah… she has quite a bit of weight on her shoulders, but she doesn't let it slow her down. I wouldn't have anyone else to be my Mentor," she said. Weiss nodded and the two continued to converse on the ride, Blake looked back at them and smiled a little.

"You're so much like her Ruby… You'll make it in the Brotherhood, I know you will," she thought. She looked up to the clear sky. "You'd be proud of her already Summer, I promise I'll do everything in my power to protect her even when she moves on and is no longer my apprentice," she focused back on the path ahead of them, letting the two other Assassins talk and get to know one another. Soon the trio made it back to Vale and to the Bureau where they put their horses in the stable. "Ruby," Blake said. Ruby walked over to her.

"Yes Blake?" she asked.

"Go show Weiss around to the city and introduce her to the others, I have business to attend to," Blake told her. Ruby nodded and moved to go to Weiss before looking back at Blake.

"No training today?" she asked. Blake gave her a small smile, something she rarely does.

"You showed in Atlas that you can cut back on training slightly, you get a week and a half of reduced training. After you show Weiss around, report to Raven for studies alright?" she said. Ruby smiled brightly and nodded before going and showing Weiss around, Blake finished stowing away her riding gear before heading inside and towards Ozpin's office. She knocked before entering.

"Ah, Blake. It's wonderful to see you, you wrote in your letter that certain events led to your mission being extended though you never elaborated much on that," he said. Blake nodded.

"It's all in my report, as well as other documents that Ironwood told me that are for your eyes only," she told him. Ozpin nodded.

"How are things in Atlas?" he asked, scanning over the documents that she'd given him.

"The Templar presence has diminished slightly with the work of our brothers and sisters there, but it's going to be awhile before they fall back into the shadows like they do here," she told him. "In all honesty Oz, I'm not sure if the Brotherhood can take back Atlas," she added. Ozpin sighed.

"You may be right, but I have faith in James. If anyone can lead the Brotherhood in Atlas to success it's him," he told her. Blake nodded. "However, I wouldn't be surprised if it's Winter to lead the Assassins to success in Atlas as she's made it her mission to go against her father," he said. Blake nodded.

"Speaking of Jacques, he's revealed some portion of the Templar plan to Winter that I overheard while trying to rescue her sister," she said. Ozpin nodded and motioned for her to continue. "He's sending a representative to Vale to work out port agreements for the Schnee Merchant Company, he's planning to control all major shipping lanes and give the Templars all control over trade between the kingdoms," she informed him. Ozpin nodded.

"I will tell our allies in the ports to be on the lookout for the representative," he said. Blake thought for a moment before speaking.

"If I may, I have an idea that just might work with weeding out the Templars," she said. Ozpin looked at her. "What if we partner with our people in the ports, write up a contract that secretly limits the Templars in what they can do without them catching on that we know part of their plan?" she suggested. Ozpin thought for a moment and looked at her.

"You mean… Play the Templars game until we are ready to strike?" he asked. Blake shook her head and smiled.

"Make the Templars play our game without even realizing it, then when the time is right and they least expect it, we strike. Hit them hard and make them fall into the shadows," she told him.

"That is very ambitious and risky," Ozpin said. "How can you assure me that this plan won't cost me many Assassins?" he asked her. Blake sighed.

"I can't guarantee that our people won't suffer many casualties, but we're at war now Ozpin. We've been at war since I was a child, and I have been among the others more than you have in my short amount of time as an Assassin that I can tell you they all want this to end and are looking to you and the High Council to start to end this new war before it even starts," she told him. Ozpin chuckled and nodded.

"I suppose you're right, but we need to be careful about our movements. If we strike too soon the Templars will catch on and our plan will be ruined," he told her. Blake opened her mouth to say something but Ozpin held up a hand to silence her. "I understand the tenseness that is in the others, many of them remember the last days of the Great War and if we strike now there could be an even worse war. So please Blake, be patient with the Council," he said. Blake nodded and stood up.

"Alright, but I'll be the first one out there when the order comes in. I… will take my leave now," she said. Ozpin smiled and nodded before watching her leave. He looked down to the report on his desk and pushed it aside, picking up Ironwoods letter. He read it and chuckled, looking to his door before getting up and walking out. He found Glynda in the common room. "Glynda, get Qrow and the others. It's time for a meeting," he told her. The woman nodded and got up to go get the others as Ozpin turned to go back to the Council chambers. As he turned he caught sight of Ruby, Yang, and Weiss all getting to know each other and talking, Ruby smiling and waving Blake over when she came in. He chuckled and shook his head before heading to meet with the Council of Vale. He walked in and looked around the table, smiling as he saw Tai, Qrow, Raven, and Glynda all sitting there waiting for him. Qrow looked up at him and sighed.

"Why did we have to meet now? I was going to go out and teach Yang how to survive against Grimm," he said.

"And I had to cancel Ruby's study session, meaning Blake now has to try and teach her the history of the first Assassins and we all know how well she is at teaching written material," Raven chimed in. Ozpin sighed.

"I understand that you all had things to do, but this is important. This concerns our one empty seat on the Council," he said, looking over to the chair that Ghira once occupied. Everyone looked at each other before looking back at him, Glynda spoke up.

"Is she ready Ozpin? I mean, we can't just put her on the Council without her being ready to sit here," she told him. Ozpin sat down.

"I understand that this is a serious topic, and I understand that you would all have your doubts about allowing her on the Council, especially given her age, but we must look forward. Is there really anything else we can teach her?" he asked. Everyone looked down in thought before Tai looked up at him.

"What about Ruby? Blake is supposed to be her mentor, wouldn't putting her on the Council disrupt that?" he asked. Ozpin chuckled.

"Raven was on the Council when she was training Blake, and Qrow is on the Council and he's training Yang now. I don't see the problem with letting her on the council, besides, James Ironwood has recommended her promotion to Master Assassin. Seems she risked her life as well as kept up the teachings of the Creed for as long as anyone could remember, I believe that Miss Belladonna is ready for this position," he told them. Everyone looked at each other.

"Though I don't entirely agree with you, Miss Belladonna has shown great promise as an Assassin. She would do well to be on the Council," Glynda said.

"I agree with Master Goodwitch. As the one who trained Blake I know that having her on the Council with us will be a benefit," Raven added. Qrow nodded.

"She's a direct connection to our younger Assassins, that will come in handy when trying to figure out our next few moves," he said. Tai looked at everyone and sighed.

"Then it is agreed, Blake Belladonna is hereby promoted to Master Assassin and accepted on this Council," Ozpin said. Everyone murmured in agreement and they all got up to leave. Raven stayed behind slightly and looked at the once empty chair that would be filled come morning and smiled softly.

"Looks like your work won't go unfinished Ghira, Kali, I hope you're both just happy with how we went about raising her…" she thought before walking away.

**Author's Note:**

> Please, read and Review!
> 
> ~MariClem2019


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